Destination Moon (1950)

In the wake of a disastrous rocket failure, the dogged rocket engineer, Dr. Charles Cargraves, finds himself at a crossroads. Stripped of government funding, he rallies alongside his stalwart companions, the retired General Thayer and the ambitious entrepreneur Jim Barnes. United in purpose, they embark on a daring mission to reach for the moon, igniting the interest of American industrialists who dare to dream as they do. Under the fiery desert sun, they laboriously manifest their vision, constructing a revolutionary rocket powered by an atomic engine. Dubbed 'Luna', this gleaming marvel of technology becomes a beacon of their dreams. Yet, the shadow of public fear looms over them, stoked by concerns of radiation leakage and the audacity of their moon-bound mission. In a bold response, they accelerate their plans, launching Luna without preliminary tests. The journey to the moon is marked by a symphony of technological triumphs and trials. Amid the celestial silence, they land on the lunar surface, only to confront the stark reality of fuel miscalculations. Their descent has consumed more fuel than anticipated, casting a pall over their triumphant exploration of the lunar landscape. The revelation that they must shed weight to return to Earth ushers in a desperate scramble to strip Luna to its bare essentials. However, the harsh arithmetic of survival delivers an even graver verdict. Despite their efforts, they remain 100 lbs too heavy. In the lunar desolation, it dawns on them that the price of their return to Earth may be one of their own. As the tension mounts, the question hangs in the air -- who will be left behind on this alien world, and will the rest succeed in their perilous return to Earth? Only time and the unyielding expanse of space hold the answers.

Destination Moon is an adventure movie featuring John Archer.

Destination Moon is currently streaming on Film Movement Plus.

It is also possible to buy Destination Moon on Amazon Video.